Connor McDavid posted the third five-point game of his career Wednesday night at Rogers Place as the Edmonton Oilers throttled the Philadelphia Flyers 6-3.
McDavid finished with a goal and four assists.
LISTEN BELOW: Connor McDavid
The Oilers struck on their first shot of the game when Leon Draisaitl beat Carter Hart’s blocker side 1:13 into the game.
Jakub Voracek replied with a power play goal for the Flyers, scoring from the side of the net off a rebound.
With just over five minutes left in the first, Ethan Bear joined the rush and sniped his first of the season to make it 2-1 Oilers.
The Flyers outshot the Oilers 16-8 in the first and kept the pressure on in the second period, forcing Mikko Koskinen to make several excellent saves.
With 7:26 left in the period, Kris Russell lobbed the puck into the Flyers zone. McDavid took it away from Justin Braun and cut in to score a spectacular goal.
“He was average today,” Oilers defenceman Oscar Klefbom joked. “He’s one of a kind. It’s really nice to have him back from injury.”
Sherwood Park’s Carter Hart got the start in goal for the Flyers but was pulled after allowing four goals on 14 shots.
“Coming home for the first time for sure there’s nerves,” Hart said. “But at the end of the day you still have a job to do and you gotta stop pucks. And tonight I didn’t stop pucks, I didn’t do my job. I didn’t give my team a chance to win tonight.”
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Draisaitl both struck on the power play, giving the Oilers three goals in 3:52 and a 5-1 lead after two.
“We stuck together. Our power play was really good,” Klefbom said.
“I liked how we bent but we didn’t break in the second,” McDavid said. “We felt strong and found a way to get a couple there to give ourselves some breathing room.”
Brandon Manning beat Brian Elliott with a long slap shot early in the third. Voracek and Oskar Lindblom added late goals for the Flyers.
Koskinen finished with 49 saves as the Oilers were outshot 52-22.
LISTEN BELOW: Mikko Koskinen
“I thought for the most part we played a real solid game,” Flyers coach Alain Vigneault said. “The difference was their third goal. Their big guys found a way to put the puck in the back of the net. We had some great looks, the right guys had the looks. Their goaltender was the difference maker in the game. He played exceptionally well.”
LISTEN BELOW: Oscar Klefbom
“He should’ve been first, second and third star tonight,” Tippett said. “He is the only reason we won that game.”
Tippett gave an update on defenceman Joel Persson after the game as well. The young Swede is out for seven to 10 days while in concussion protocol from a hit suffered against Chicago.
LISTEN BELOW: Dave Tippett
The Oilers, 6-1-0, will host Detroit on Friday.
– With files from 630 CHED’s Brenden Escott and Kyle Morris
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